Abduction pillows and cushions have been used in the past as an orthopedic device to maintain a patient's legs in an appropriate position with respect to the patient's body. For example, see the disclosures found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,423,773; 3,834,376; and 3,339,544.
Orthopedic abduction devices are particularly useful to patients that have undergone hip surgery. It is essential that limits be placed on the movement of the patient's legs, after hip surgery, to assure that the head of the thigh bone is maintained within its socket. This is because the legs tend to be drawn with respect to the patient's body so as to pull and place stress on the hip joint, sometimes resulting in dislocation of the head of the thigh bone from its socket. When this occurs, post hip surgery is required.
One particular area that has presented special problems for patients after hip surgery is the particular problem presented by a patient who has had hip surgery and is placed in a wheelchair. It is the tendency for the patient's legs, while sitting in a wheelchair, to be drawn underneath the seat of the wheelchair and/or for the patient's knees to be drawn inwardly towards each other. Either situation is undesirable because in such cases a pulling action occurs about the hip joint and it is not uncommon for such to lead to hip dislocation which requires post-op hip surgery.
Thus, there is a real need for an orthopedic device that is adapted to be utilized in conjunction with a wheelchair, in which it is particularly designed to maintain the patient's legs in proper position and orientation about the lower front area of the wheelchair.